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Bradley, Provodnikov title fight set for March 16

LOS ANGELES -- If Timothy Bradley was disappointed that he didn't get a big-name fighter as his next opponent, he didn't show it Wednesday during his press conference at the Millennium Biltmore. Bradley, who

LOS ANGELES -- If Timothy Bradley was disappointed that he didn't get a big-name fighter as his next opponent, he didn't show it Wednesday during his press conference at the Millennium Biltmore.

Bradley, who signed his contract just before the noon press conference, will face Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on March 16. It will be Bradley's first fight since winning the WBO welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao in June, scoring the split decision victory despite injuries to both feet during the fight.

Hoping to get a big name fight to capitalize on his huge and controversial upset, Bradley couldn't find any takers. So he's fighting Provodnikov, a rough, offensive fighter who is No. 3 in the WBO rankings.

"I'm not mad, I'm just glad to be back. It's been eight months, that's a lot of time. It gave me time to gather my thoughts, get control of my career and let my feet heal up," Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) said. "I'm happy to be back. I'm happy Ruslan took the fight. It's kind of short notice. Normally you need eight weeks to get ready, but he looks like he stays in really good shape. He looks pretty low in weight right now, he's probably 152 or something like that."

They will fight for Bradley's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title.

Bradley, 29, from Palm Springs, Calif., said he's walking around at 165 pounds right now, but isn't concerned about losing the weight and being ready to defend his title.

Bradley expects this to be a busy year. After fighting only once in 2012, he said he would like to fight three or four times this year.

"My mission is to stay busy," Bradley said.

First, he will have to get past March 16.

Provodnikov is 22-1 with 15 knockouts. His one loss was to Mauricio Herrera in January 2011. Bradley said Herrera was one of his sparring partners.

In Provodnikov's corner will be five-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach, who is Pacquiao's trainer.

Provodnikov was a sparring partner for Pacquiao in preparation for the Bradley fight. In return Provodnikov got tickets to Bradley-Pacquiao.

He wasn't that impressed.

"It's just another fighter," Provodnikov said through a translator. "It's not Mike Tyson."

Bradley wasn't concerned about fighting a Roach-trained boxer.

"I already beat Freddie Roach's top dog so I don't know how much Freddie can help this guy," Bradley said.

When Roach heard of Bradley's quote, he responded by tweeting, "Only Bradley and two other guys believe that. I think Bradley's been out in the desert sun too long."

Like many of Roach's charges, Provodnikov is an offensive fighter who continues to come forward. But Bradley feels it's Provodnikov's intangibles that make him tough, specifically, his intensity.

"A lot of people, they get beat just on intensity," Bradley said. "The thing is, I bring the intensity as well."

But Bradley is confident about facing Provodnikov, saying he hasn't fought against elite fighters, and lacks versatility.

"I make adjustments to my game. I think his game is the same all the time: Get inside, outwork them and bang, bang, bang," Bradley said. "A lot of the guys he faced, he was able to do that against them. But he's at a different level now. My job is to show him, this is a way different ball game. I think I will do that."